Disclaimer: I do not own any characters apart from Libby Silverman.
Showdown
Chapter 4: Times up
What was Libby going to do? Become a Deatheater and serve Voldemort, the one whom she had always aimed to be stronger than? Or refuse and betray her friends and others who she considered to be innocent by practically handing them over to Voldemort?
It was Tuesday afternoon, and transfiguration was the second to last lesson. Professor McGonagall was teaching the class how to change green parrots into white mice. Libby managed hers in record timing, and occupied herself by watching the first years Defence Against the Dark Arts lesson in the East Tower out of the window.
"Ms Silverman," Called McGonagall in her soft Scottish accent. "Do you intend to do any work this afternoon?"
"I've finished." Said Libby clearly.
"In that case, perhaps you would like to take a message to Professor Sprout. She is currently in the West Tower. Please ask her if her Morinicas Herb left- it would be helpful for our next experiment."
Libby nodded and took the note. "Do I need to say anything else to her?"
"No," Replied McGonagall. "But be as quick as you can. We will be seeing who performed the Transfiguration correctly very shortly."
*~*~*~*
Libby had put the event that had happened on Wednesday at the back of her mind, but it was far from being forgotten. The cliché of walking nervously down the hallway was annoying; and Libby took the utmost caution in anything she passed (all she needed was another portkey, and then she'd be done for).
And then she saw it. Another locket. How stupid did Voldemort think she was? Nevertheless, she had to get rid of it. If anyone touched it, they could easily be transported, and would almost certainly be killed. Maybe she could use another spell? But before she managed to think of one, she noticed that this locket was different. It didn't have delicate filigree works on it. Instead, it had a name- Ginny Weasley. Was this Ginny's? Libby didn't want to take any chances. She had to pick it up with something...and the nearest thing was a suit of armour. She could use the sword. But she had to be quick. Even in the wizarding world it was dangerous to go around carrying a great bloody sword around with you. As long as she did it very carefully-
FLASH! "Crap," She said with dismay. "It wasn't the locket that was the portkey. It was the sword!" Voldemort must have known that Libby was too smart to fall for the same trick twice. She was transported to the same place, and the exact same greeting party.
Voldemort concocted an hourglass in the air. With a wave of his wand, the last of the sand trickled down the hole.
"Times up..." He hissed.
"No, no. It can't be time already?!" She pleaded. "You can't expect me to make a decision like that in a MATTER OF DAYS!"
"I could, I would...and I have." He answered coolly. "What is your answer?"
Libby stayed silent, and Voldemort realised he would have to do a bit of bargaining.
He waved his wand and the hourglass disappeared, but an orb took its place. A picture lay inside it. But, as Libby realised, it wasn't just a picture, it was a reflection of Hogwarts beneath the surface. It appeared to be one of the dormitories.
"This is Harry Potters room, is it not?"
Once again, Libby made no sound.
Voldemort laughed coldly, and then said, "I have placed a portkey beside his bed. He will come to this room very soon. As soon as he touches the...strange object I have placed beside his bed, he will no longer be at Hogwarts. He will be..." That old familiar sneer came back. "...here. Once he is here, I will kill him." He added shortly. "Unless...unless you care to change your mind?"
This was it- the moment Libby had lost sleep over, and thought about so much that her head hurt when she ceased.
Libby breathed in deeply, and looked up to the sky. "I don't really have a choice, do I?"
The Dark Lord smiled again. "No."
Libby sighed and looked away from the sky. He had been watching her the whole time, noting her reactions. She was choiceless.
"I'm not having one of those ugly, permanent ones. I don't care what you do, but it must be temporary." Libby was seizing what little power she had left.
"Excellent choice," Said Voldemort, as if they were merely on some cheap game show. He led her to a clearing and ordered her to sit down on a specially placed rock. It seemed that he had been preparing for this. He clicked his fingers and two Deatheaters came to hold her arms. Another shortly followed carrying a wand with a very sharp-looking point at the end, and held it towards her. Voldemort also approached, and loomed over the four of them.
"Expect pain...a lot of pain."
*~*~*~*~*
"Where is Libby?" Said Hermione, quite shrilly. Libby hadn't returned after taking the note to Professor Sprout. She had completely missed Care of Magical Creatures.
"She'll turn up. Don't worry 'Mione. I bet she's fine." Reassured Harry.
"But-". Hermione was cut short by the sound of breaking glass nearby. The three of them rushed towards the noise, and found themselves outside the girls' toilets. Hermione gingerly walked in.
Libby had smashed most of the mirrors, and was well on her way to smashing the next one. But before she could, she caught sight of Harry, Ron and Hermione in the mirror. She was breathing fast as she spun around.
"Guys! I...I didn't see you there." She turned back to the last remaining mirror and started to absent-mindedly tidy her hair.
Harry managed to find his voice. "Libs, what's wrong?" He put a hand on her shoulder, but she waved it away.
"Oh, look at my hand!" She chirped in answer. Her hand had been cut multiple times from the fragments of mirror. "Gosh, don't I look a mess?" She put her hand under the tap, and the cold water washed away the blood. She sniffed but she wasn't crying- only weak people cried. Hermione and Ron glanced cautiously at each other out of the corner of their eyes.
"Libs," Began Hermione. "We're worried about you. What's wrong? It's obviously something big, as you would have told us otherwise."
Libby's mind was going a mile a minute. 'Make something up!' A voice was screaming. 'Make something up!'.
"My...uh...my Grandma died." She said quickly. "My...um...my mum sent me a note. But I'll be alright. I'm fine now. I'd rather we just went back to the common room." She marched out, and the others followed.
"We're sorry Libs. We didn't know." Muttered Ron.
"Yes," Said Harry. "I wish we had known before. Then we could have done more."
"Don't worry. Look, do me a favour. Don't tell anyone." She implored.
"We wont." Replied Harry. "You can count on us."
*~*~*~*
"Don't you think Libby seemed more angry than upset?" They were in the common room, and Libby had gone to bed.
"No, I think she was reacting like anyone would. It's horrible when someone dies, Harry. It's like, when you wake up in the morning, and they just aren't there anymore. And-" Continued Ron.
"Yes Ron, I think I do know." Interrupted an agitated Harry.
"Oh yeah...sorry Harry."
"Don't you think we should tell Dumbledore about Libby?" Piped Hermione.
"No. The mirrors were easily fixed, and she has enough on her plate already without hassle from other people." Explained Harry. "We'll just have to keep an eye on her."
"I guess. Goodnight." Exclaimed Hermione.
"Goodnight." Said the boys simultaneously.
~*~*~*~*~*~
Showdown
Chapter 4: Times up
What was Libby going to do? Become a Deatheater and serve Voldemort, the one whom she had always aimed to be stronger than? Or refuse and betray her friends and others who she considered to be innocent by practically handing them over to Voldemort?
It was Tuesday afternoon, and transfiguration was the second to last lesson. Professor McGonagall was teaching the class how to change green parrots into white mice. Libby managed hers in record timing, and occupied herself by watching the first years Defence Against the Dark Arts lesson in the East Tower out of the window.
"Ms Silverman," Called McGonagall in her soft Scottish accent. "Do you intend to do any work this afternoon?"
"I've finished." Said Libby clearly.
"In that case, perhaps you would like to take a message to Professor Sprout. She is currently in the West Tower. Please ask her if her Morinicas Herb left- it would be helpful for our next experiment."
Libby nodded and took the note. "Do I need to say anything else to her?"
"No," Replied McGonagall. "But be as quick as you can. We will be seeing who performed the Transfiguration correctly very shortly."
*~*~*~*
Libby had put the event that had happened on Wednesday at the back of her mind, but it was far from being forgotten. The cliché of walking nervously down the hallway was annoying; and Libby took the utmost caution in anything she passed (all she needed was another portkey, and then she'd be done for).
And then she saw it. Another locket. How stupid did Voldemort think she was? Nevertheless, she had to get rid of it. If anyone touched it, they could easily be transported, and would almost certainly be killed. Maybe she could use another spell? But before she managed to think of one, she noticed that this locket was different. It didn't have delicate filigree works on it. Instead, it had a name- Ginny Weasley. Was this Ginny's? Libby didn't want to take any chances. She had to pick it up with something...and the nearest thing was a suit of armour. She could use the sword. But she had to be quick. Even in the wizarding world it was dangerous to go around carrying a great bloody sword around with you. As long as she did it very carefully-
FLASH! "Crap," She said with dismay. "It wasn't the locket that was the portkey. It was the sword!" Voldemort must have known that Libby was too smart to fall for the same trick twice. She was transported to the same place, and the exact same greeting party.
Voldemort concocted an hourglass in the air. With a wave of his wand, the last of the sand trickled down the hole.
"Times up..." He hissed.
"No, no. It can't be time already?!" She pleaded. "You can't expect me to make a decision like that in a MATTER OF DAYS!"
"I could, I would...and I have." He answered coolly. "What is your answer?"
Libby stayed silent, and Voldemort realised he would have to do a bit of bargaining.
He waved his wand and the hourglass disappeared, but an orb took its place. A picture lay inside it. But, as Libby realised, it wasn't just a picture, it was a reflection of Hogwarts beneath the surface. It appeared to be one of the dormitories.
"This is Harry Potters room, is it not?"
Once again, Libby made no sound.
Voldemort laughed coldly, and then said, "I have placed a portkey beside his bed. He will come to this room very soon. As soon as he touches the...strange object I have placed beside his bed, he will no longer be at Hogwarts. He will be..." That old familiar sneer came back. "...here. Once he is here, I will kill him." He added shortly. "Unless...unless you care to change your mind?"
This was it- the moment Libby had lost sleep over, and thought about so much that her head hurt when she ceased.
Libby breathed in deeply, and looked up to the sky. "I don't really have a choice, do I?"
The Dark Lord smiled again. "No."
Libby sighed and looked away from the sky. He had been watching her the whole time, noting her reactions. She was choiceless.
"I'm not having one of those ugly, permanent ones. I don't care what you do, but it must be temporary." Libby was seizing what little power she had left.
"Excellent choice," Said Voldemort, as if they were merely on some cheap game show. He led her to a clearing and ordered her to sit down on a specially placed rock. It seemed that he had been preparing for this. He clicked his fingers and two Deatheaters came to hold her arms. Another shortly followed carrying a wand with a very sharp-looking point at the end, and held it towards her. Voldemort also approached, and loomed over the four of them.
"Expect pain...a lot of pain."
*~*~*~*~*
"Where is Libby?" Said Hermione, quite shrilly. Libby hadn't returned after taking the note to Professor Sprout. She had completely missed Care of Magical Creatures.
"She'll turn up. Don't worry 'Mione. I bet she's fine." Reassured Harry.
"But-". Hermione was cut short by the sound of breaking glass nearby. The three of them rushed towards the noise, and found themselves outside the girls' toilets. Hermione gingerly walked in.
Libby had smashed most of the mirrors, and was well on her way to smashing the next one. But before she could, she caught sight of Harry, Ron and Hermione in the mirror. She was breathing fast as she spun around.
"Guys! I...I didn't see you there." She turned back to the last remaining mirror and started to absent-mindedly tidy her hair.
Harry managed to find his voice. "Libs, what's wrong?" He put a hand on her shoulder, but she waved it away.
"Oh, look at my hand!" She chirped in answer. Her hand had been cut multiple times from the fragments of mirror. "Gosh, don't I look a mess?" She put her hand under the tap, and the cold water washed away the blood. She sniffed but she wasn't crying- only weak people cried. Hermione and Ron glanced cautiously at each other out of the corner of their eyes.
"Libs," Began Hermione. "We're worried about you. What's wrong? It's obviously something big, as you would have told us otherwise."
Libby's mind was going a mile a minute. 'Make something up!' A voice was screaming. 'Make something up!'.
"My...uh...my Grandma died." She said quickly. "My...um...my mum sent me a note. But I'll be alright. I'm fine now. I'd rather we just went back to the common room." She marched out, and the others followed.
"We're sorry Libs. We didn't know." Muttered Ron.
"Yes," Said Harry. "I wish we had known before. Then we could have done more."
"Don't worry. Look, do me a favour. Don't tell anyone." She implored.
"We wont." Replied Harry. "You can count on us."
*~*~*~*
"Don't you think Libby seemed more angry than upset?" They were in the common room, and Libby had gone to bed.
"No, I think she was reacting like anyone would. It's horrible when someone dies, Harry. It's like, when you wake up in the morning, and they just aren't there anymore. And-" Continued Ron.
"Yes Ron, I think I do know." Interrupted an agitated Harry.
"Oh yeah...sorry Harry."
"Don't you think we should tell Dumbledore about Libby?" Piped Hermione.
"No. The mirrors were easily fixed, and she has enough on her plate already without hassle from other people." Explained Harry. "We'll just have to keep an eye on her."
"I guess. Goodnight." Exclaimed Hermione.
"Goodnight." Said the boys simultaneously.
~*~*~*~*~*~